Systems including variable speed pumps for cleaning swimming pools and spas

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for circulating water of swimming pools or spas are detailed. The systems may include both a main filtration pump and a secondary booster pump, with the booster pump containing a variable-speed motor. By adjusting motor speed of the booster pump, pressurized water may be supplied to certain automatic swimming pool cleaners more efficiently, without need for energy-wasting by-pass paths or restrictor plates.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/894,008, filed Oct. 22, 2013, and having the same title as appears above, the entire contents of which application are incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to systems principally—although not necessarily exclusively—for cleaning recirculating water of recreational vessels such as swimming pools and spas (sometimes collectively referred to herein as “pools” or “swimming pools”) and more particularly, although again not exclusively, to systems utilizing variable-speed, dedicated booster pumps in connection with “pressure-side” automatic swimming pool cleaners (APCs).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally, APCs are categorized as either hydraulic or electric, depending mainly on the source of energy used to move the devices within pools. Hydraulic APCs frequently are sub-categorized as “suction-side” or “pressure-side” cleaners, with suction-side cleaners typically being connected, via hoses and debris filters, to inlets of water-recirculation pumps. Because this latter type of cleaner is connected to the suction side of the pump, it is evacuated by the pump and thus sucks debris-laden water from the pool to clean it.

Pressure-side cleaners, by contrast, communicate with outlets of the pumps. Pressurized water thus is passed through the bodies of these cleaners; employing the Venturi principle, the pressurized water draws with it debris-laden water from the pool. The debris-laden water then passes through a filter before being returned to the pool.

Standard water-recirculation pumps often are inadequate to power pressure-side APCs satisfactorily. Historically, therefore, separate booster pumps have been required to do so. U.S. Pat. No. 8,297,920 to Ortiz, et al., whose contents are incorporated herein in their entirety, discloses examples of such booster pumps. These booster pumps undeniably use additional electricity, a disadvantageous result especially as energy costs increase.

Additionally, conventional booster pumps operate at a single speed. They thus may supply to pressure-side APCs water at greater pressure and/or volume than optimal or otherwise desirable. To resolve this problem, water by-pass paths may be created or restrictor plates may be placed in supply hoses, for example. Both approaches simply waste some of the pressure provided by the booster pumps, however, and therefore waste some of the energy used to pressurize the water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention avoids the inefficiencies present in existing solutions involving single-speed booster pumps. Systems of the invention control speed and suction power of pressure-side APCs by varying the water flow supplied by the secondary booster pump rather than wasting extra flow by by-passing or restricting it. Preferred embodiments of the invention do so by employing a variable-speed booster pump and adjusting its motor speed (revolutions per minute, or RPMs) to supply a pressure-side APC with water at satisfactory, if no optimal, pressure and/or volume. No by-pass or restriction is thus necessary, materially reducing the amount of wasted energy.

The present invention hence relates to systems including both pressure-side APCs and variable-speed pumps, especially booster pumps. It also relates to methods of cleaning pools using pressure-side APCs connected to outlets of variable-speed booster pumps. It further relates to pressure-side APCs configured for use with variable-speed booster pumps. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The FIGURE is a block diagram of an exemplary water-circulation and cleaning system for a swimming pool or spa.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrated in the FIGURE is an example of system 10 consistent with the present invention. Included in system 10 are filtration pump 20, water distribution equipment 40, and booster pump 50. Optionally forming part of system 10 may be first and second water conditioning equipment 30 and 70, respectively, and APC 60, Although APC 60 is an optional part of system 10, its presence is preferable, as inclusion of certain hydraulic APCs generates need for booster pump 50 (as discussed above).

Filtration pump 20 constitutes the main water-circulation means for system 10. Filtration pump 20 evacuates water from a swimming pool or spa (optionally through a skimmer or other filtration device) and passes the now-pressurized water at least to distribution equipment 40 downstream thereof. Optionally positioned upstream of distribution equipment 40 may be first water conditioning equipment 30, which if present and operational may treat or sense characteristics of water exiting filtration pump 20 before it reaches distribution equipment 40. Non-limiting examples of first water conditioning equipment 30 equipment may be filters, heaters, chlorinators or other sanitizers, sensors, or other devices. Optionally positioned downstream of distribution equipment 40 may be second water conditioning equipment 70; it too may be or include such devices as filters, heaters, chlorinators or other sanitizers, or sensors, for example.

As noted in the Ortiz patent, distribution equipment 40 may comprise a plumbing system or manifold configured to divide water flow 80 into at least two flows 80A and 80B. Flow 80B travels to second water conditioning equipment 70, if present, then returning to the pool or spa from which it originated. By contrast, flow 80A passes to booster pump 50 for subsequent downstream travel to APC 60. In system 10, booster pump 50 is distinct from filtration pump 20 and dedicated to further pressurizing water for operation of APC 60.

Conventionally, filtration pump 20 has a motor operational at either a single speed (i.e. a single-speed motor) or varying speeds (i.e. a variable-speed motor). Examples of such pumps 20 include the Jandy FloPro pumps, available from Zodiac Pool Systems, Inc. with single- and variable-speed motors. Other commercially-available pool pumps may be used as filtration pump 20.

Well known in the pool and spa industry is that inclusion of booster pumps in pool and spa water-circulation systems undesirably adds to the energy usage of the systems. Yet, as noted earlier, conventional booster pumps operate at a single speed. This is true today, as even the booster pump of the recently-issued Ortiz patent is designed for single-speed operation. Long-needed, therefore, is a booster pump that allows operation of an APC (especially a pressure-side APC) but reduces, to the extent feasible, the additional energy needed to function.

Booster pump 60 of system 10 fulfills this long-felt need in the industry by configuring its motor to operate at varying speeds. It thus may be constructed using at least some of the variable-speed technology of the corresponding Jandy FloPro pumps, for example, although other variable-speed motors and technology may be used instead. Generally, booster pump 60 will be both physically smaller and less powerful than filtration pump 20, although these differences are not necessarily required.

Hence, even if filtration pump 20 has a single-speed motor, system 10 allows variation in water flow and pressure to APC 60 by adjusting motor speed of booster pump 60. In this way, system 10 may supply water to APC 60 at optimal (or near optimal) pressures and/or volumes without need for energy-wasting by-pass paths or restrictor plates. Moreover, for systems 10 in which both filtration pump 20 and booster pump 50 utilize variable-speed motors, speeds of both motors may be adjusted independent of one another to improve overall efficiency of operation of the systems 10.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, persons skilled in the art will recognize that booster pump 50 is not necessarily limited to use with pressure-side APCs 60 and that system 10 may be configured and plumbed differently so as to allow use of booster pump 50 with another type of hydraulic APC 60 or otherwise as desired. Hoses, conduits, pipes, and other conventional equipment may be used to pass water between components of system 10. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of adjusting operational performance of an automatic swimming pool cleaner, comprising: a. using a booster pump, causing water to flow to the automatic swimming pool cleaner at a first flow rate; b. assessing operational performance of the automatic swimming pool cleaner while water flows to it at the first flow rate; and c. altering the operational performance of the automatic swimming pool cleaner by adjusting a speed of a motor of the booster pump to cause water to flow to the automatic swimming pool cleaner at a second flow rate different than the first flow rate.
 2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the act of operating a filtration pump, causing water to flow to the booster pump.
 3. A method of operating a water-circulation system of a swimming pool, comprising: a. operating a filtration pump so as to (i) evacuate a first portion of water from the swimming pool and (ii) pass the first portion of water to water distribution equipment downstream of the filtration pump; b. operating a booster pump at a first motor speed so as to (i) evacuate a second portion of water from the water distribution equipment, the second portion of water being at least a part of the first portion of water, and (ii) pass the second portion of water to an automatic swimming pool cleaner; and c. adjusting the motor speed of the booster pump so as to operate the booster pump at a second motor speed different than the first motor speed.
 4. A method according to claim 3 in which the automatic swimming pool cleaner is a pressure-side, hydraulic cleaner.
 5. A method according to claim 3 in which the filtration pump has a variable-speed motor, further comprising the act of adjusting the motor speed of the filtration pump from a first speed to a second speed different than the first speed.
 6. A pool-cleaning system comprising: a. an automatic swimming pool cleaner having an inlet and configured to operate based at least in part on pressurized water supplied to the inlet; b. connection means; and c. a booster pump (i) having an outlet connected, via the connection means, only to the automatic swimming pool cleaner so as to supply pressurized water to the inlet of the automatic swimming pool cleaner and (ii) comprising a variable-speed motor configured in use for adjustment of a flow rate of pressurized water supplied to the inlet of the automatic swimming pool cleaner.
 7. A system according to claim 6 in which the connection means comprises a hose.
 8. A water-circulation system for a swimming pool, comprising: a. an automatic swimming pool cleaner; b. water distribution equipment; c. a filtration pump configured in use so as to (i) evacuate a first portion of water from the swimming pool and (ii) pass the first portion of water to the water distribution equipment downstream of the filtration pump; and d. a booster pump configured in use to operate at least at different first and second motor speeds so as to (i) evacuate a second portion of water from the water distribution equipment, the second portion of water being at least a part of the first portion of water, and (ii) pass the second portion of water to the automatic swimming pool cleaner.
 9. A booster pump (a) comprising a variable-speed motor and (b) configured for use with a hydraulic automatic swimming pool cleaner. 